A Rose by any other name
by awakeatnight
Summary: He had found a way out, a way off of a sinking ship, with the helping hand of a boy he didn't think he could ever repay. That night Sirius shed the black burden that the name had so aptly cast upon him and one of the most time-worn friendships was formed.


**A/N: I am still working on Chapter Four of Just to Make it up to You, but I was having such a good day that I really felt like uploading something, so here is a little scene I wrote awhile back of Sirius reflecting on his sorting and his name, and I'm not sure if it will fit into Just to Make it Up to You or not, at least not for awhile anyway so we'll see. But hopefully enjoy and tell me what you think!**

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><p>"Black, Sirius." His name had echoed off the stone walls of the Great Hall in McGonagal's formal tone and he had felt the air tense as they waited for him to reach the sorting hat. It seemed every table was looking at him apprehensively, the Slytherins with greedy smiles on their faces.<p>

He had placed the tattered old hat on his head delicately, afraid it might fall apart, as he sat on that stool, which seemed so small now, awaiting his fate.

_Black, Black, Black. _A voice in his head mused. _Another Black. Always united in making Salazar proud; Toujours Pur. Centuries of Slytherins. There is loyalty, plenty of loyalty, and courage. Merlin, the nerve of this one. But what is this? A sense of equality? Hmmmmm. Salazar would not be pleased if I placed him in Slytherin, no. And for that alone, Godric would welcome him with open arms. But there is courage in abundance, yes, more than many a Gryfindor before him. Better be…_

"Gryffindor!"

Sirius looked up as a smattering of applause came from his left as many of the Slytherins had anticipatorily started clapping, only to stop dead, aghast. Sirius braved a glance to his new home, the table with red and gold draped above it, anxiety coming off of him.

The Gryffindors too were shocked, no one moved, no one made a sound. Sirius dropped his gaze as he removed the hat, he knew he was different, he didn't belong, even here at Hogwarts. He turned his back to the greater student body, facing only the first years, his eyes stinging with hot tears as he slowly put the hat back onto the stool, the Great Hall still eerily silent.

Just before Sirius squared his shoulders to turn around and face his doom, he caught the eye of one messy-haired, bespectacled, James Potter whose mouth had been hanging open. This quickly turned into a lopsided grin as he mouthed the words _Good one mate!_

Mate. That word alone sunk in. Mate. As in friends. Sirius smiled a true smile back to the boy, but James missed it as he lifted his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle, which to Sirius' shock broke the students out of their stunned silence. Amazingly this quickly turned into raucous cheering and applause from the table on the far right of the Hall. And then the table next to it, and finally the table next to that. A standing ovation. The Slytherins alone sat in stunned, surly silence as the Great Hall exploded with cheers.

Sirius beamed as he took his place on the Gryffindor bench looking up at Potter, sincere appreciation written all over his face. James grinned and mouthed _See you in a minute! _as McGonagal finally saw fit to calm the hoards with a crisp, "Branstone, Olivia!"

Sirius had been as happy as he can ever remember that night, eating his first meal as a Gryffindor, surrounded by his first real friends. It had been sheer and utter bliss. Until the first of many red letters came, while they were still at the House tables, enjoying dessert.

How they had come to know so soon he had never found out, although he had a sinking suspicion that Cissa had something to do with it. And more so how that stupid, bloody bird got in instead of having to wait for morning post, he didn't know either. All he knew was the sinking feeling he had gotten when he saw those eerie yellow eyes searching him out, holding that crimson letter in his formidable talons. As the bird circled above him, he felt his heart drop with every swoop the bird took, lower and lower. He knew it had been too good to be true. And his fears were confirmed when the envelope fluttered down.

He knew how a Howler worked. He knew he had to open it or it would be much, much worse later, so reluctantly he had ripped the stupid thing open.

"SIRIUS. ORION. BLACK!"

His name had rung throughout the Hall, all eyes once again turning to him.

"HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE NAME OF BLACK!"

"GETTING SORTED INTO THE HOUSE OF BLOOD TRAITORS AND MUDBLOODS ALIKE? YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO YOUR FATHER AND I!"

His mother's screeching voice held the Great Hall captive for another five whole, torturous minutes with her ranting, ending with,

"YOU'RE LUCKY WE DON'T DISINHERIT YOU RIGHT NOW! YOU WOULD BE WISE TO FOLLOW YOUR COUSINS' EXAMPLES; MAYBE THEY COULD SUCCEED IN TEACHING YOU A THING OR TWO BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEVER BEHAVED PROPERLY AS A BLACK SHOULD!"

With that the letter had burst into flames. An awkward pause ensued, and then to his right James gave a low chuckle and said in an undertone that nonetheless carried the length of the Gryffindor table,

"Amen to that."

It started with a couple titters, followed by a couple giggles and a snort that Peter Pettigrew wasn't able to suppress, eventually leading to the whole of Gryffindor laughing with unholy mirth. Sirius smiled nervously as James clapped him on the back. Sirius finally let out a bark of laughter that had been dying to escape for too long now, he realized. That's when he knew. Knew for certain that 'Black' was just a name, seeing the scowling faces of the Slytherins, his relatives, as he laughed his arse off. He didn't have to be like them. He had found a way out, a way off of a sinking ship, with the helping hand of a boy he didn't think he could ever repay.

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><p>Sirius smiled just thinking about that first night.<p>

Meeting his true 'family', his brothers in all but blood. The Marauders they had dubbed themselves, the inseparable four. Of course he had cast away his given name by now. Sure he was still called Sirius Black, but when he introduced himself it was just Sirius. The Black had had to go for obvious reasons, he didn't want to be tied to that family or their reputations. His middle name too, Orion, named after his father and so many other Blacks before him, had had to go. He had kept Sirius, even though it was a family name, because, well, a man had to have a name after all.

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><p><strong> I would really love your thoughts. :D<strong>


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